


In Defense of Cat People

by TinCanTelephone



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates, Awkwardness, Cats, Cutesy, F/M, Fluff, Grumpiness, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Pre-Relationship, Sexual Tension, Snark, as in Kay the cat, grad students, if you look really hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-09 02:25:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12878202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinCanTelephone/pseuds/TinCanTelephone
Summary: It's not that she didn't like cats, she just wasn't… familiar with them. Or all that comfortable with them.Especially the murderous little fur ball that Cassian liked to describe as "really sweet once you got to know him" and she described as "the devil with four legs."In which Jyn awkwardly tries to take care of her roommate. His over-protective cat does not make things easier.





	In Defense of Cat People

**Author's Note:**

> B/c I wanted to write a story in which Jyn is actually a terrible (or at least a reluctant) nurse, but Cassian appreciates it anyway.

"Wow, you're home early." Jyn shook the snow off her parka and tossed it on the radiator to dry.

Cassian grunted. "Sore throat." He was sprawled facedown on the couch, eyes half-mast and staring at the TV, on very low with subtitles. It looked like a rerun of _Person of Interest_ , his favorite 'I don't care what I'm watching' show.

Jyn raised an eyebrow and moved on to the kitchen. "Think you're gonna live?"

"Prob'ly."

She opened the fridge and poked around for leftovers. "Interested in dinner?"

"No."

"All right." Jyn warmed up some old mac n' cheese casserole and joined Cassian in the living room on the easy chair. After a few minutes of Reese and Carter talking seriously under dramatic music, it went to a commercial break and Jyn glanced back at Cassian. He must've left campus early because she usually got home first on Wednesdays, but he still hadn't changed out of his jeans. His head was propped up on a pillow, both arms tucked around it.

Cautiously, she stretched out her leg to nudge one of his ankles with her foot. "Hey. You still awake?"

He jerked and his eyes blinked open. "Yeah."

She stared at him. "You're sure you don't want to just… go to bed?"

He shrugged, then shuffled a bit on the couch, pulling one arm out from under the pillow and curling it at his side.

"Ohh… kay." Jyn turned her attention back to the TV. Like he said, he was probably fine. Besides, they were just roommates, and he was an adult. He could take care of himself.

 

When the episode was over, it looked like Cassian was asleep again and Jyn went back to the kitchen to wash the dinner dishes. She paused when she was done. Should she wake him up? Or should she just mind her own business? What was one supposed to do when one's platonic roommate falls asleep in his clothes on the couch?

He'd probably be more comfortable if he went to bed. And if it were her, she supposed she'd like to be woken up. She nodded to herself. Okay, that settled it.

Then she walked back into the living room. _Fuck_. Cassian was just as she'd left him, but now there was a lump of grey fur curled up on the back of this legs. _Kay_.

If she'd bothered to read the _Roommate Wanted_ sign when a pipe burst in her old building last month, she would've seen that it in fact said, 'must be okay with cats,' and she might've rethought her decision to tear off Cassian's phone number. It's not that she didn't _like_ cats, she just wasn't… familiar with them. Or all that comfortable with them.

Especially the murderous little fur ball that Cassian liked to describe as "really sweet once you got to know him" and she described as "the devil with four legs." The damn thing bit her the first time she tried to pet it, and since then fled to Cassian's room whenever she reached for it. Cassian found the whole thing incredibly funny, which just made her angrier, especially when he'd leave to coax Kay II out from under his bed, then spend _twenty minutes_ cuddling it before coming back out to finish dinner. She never knew a man to be so attached to his pet. It was frankly ridiculous.

Kay looked to be asleep as well, but Jyn still did her best to give it the evil eye as she approached Cassian. But just as she came within arm's reach, it lifted its head and hissed at her, fucking _hissed_ at her!

Jyn jumped backwards and glared. "What is your _problem?"_ she whispered.

When she reached for Cassian again, Kay bared its teeth and let out a low growl. She dropped her hand.

"Calm _down_ ," she said. "For Christ's sake, I'm not going to _hurt_ him."

She tried again, but jerked backwards when Kay swiped at her. Feeling absurd, she took a few steps back and looked around for something she could use to nudge Cassian awake without approaching the murder-cat.

 _Ah ha_. A meter stick one of them had swiped from who-knows-where. _Perfect_. Glaring balefully at Kay, she used it to poke Cassian's shoulder and arm before he finally stirred.

"Mm." He grunted and began to turn over. As he moved, Kay jumped down into the open space on the couch and pushed its head against Cassian's chin. "Hey, buddy." Cassian stroked its head and scratched behind its ears. He looked up at Jyn and raised his eyebrows. "What…?"

"Nothing." Jyn reddened and put the meter stick aside. "Just… wanted to make sure you didn't spend the whole night on the couch."

Cassian grunted and pushed himself up. "Thanks." Kay jumped off the couch and trotted off to Cassian's bedroom, as if expecting its human to follow.

Jyn rocked back on her heels. "How's your throat?" She tried to make it sound casual, like she was just curious. She wasn't trying to be nosy or anything.

Cassian swallowed and grimaced. "Not good." He pushed his hair back. "I think I'm coming down with something."

Jyn stiffened. She wasn't good with this sort of thing. Never knew how to react. "Oh."

She was saved from having to elaborate when there was an impatient _meow_ from Cassian's bedroom.

He gave a weak half-smile. "I think he's telling me to go to bed."

Jyn couldn't think of anything to say to that so she just nodded awkwardly and watched Cassian disappear into his room.

 _Great_. _Good job, Erso. Way to act like a human being._

 

* * *

 

Jyn didn't have class until noon the next day, so she slept in. She could see a light snow falling out her window and everything felt relaxed and peaceful. She totally forgot about last night's awkwardness, until she got up and saw Cassian on the couch again, this time curled onto his side. He'd covered himself with a blanket from his room, and Kay was tucked up against his stomach.

The TV was off, but Cassian was awake and scrolling idly on his phone. Jyn checked the time. From what she could remember of his schedule, he was supposed to be TA-ing right now.

She hovered in the living room. "So… not going in today?"

Cassian dropped his phone and pressed his fingers into his eyes. "Nope."

Jyn winced. He was losing his voice.

"Can't." He gestured vaguely to the coffee table, where there was an empty mug of tea, a bottle of ibuprofen, and a thermometer. "I have a temperature."

"Oh." _Dammit._ Jyn bit the inside of her mouth. _Come on, say something nicer._ "That sucks." _Fuck, no, that was lame_. "Do you… need anything?"

Cassian hesitated, then reached out and looked in the mug. "If you could… maybe boil some more water that would be awesome."

"Sure." Jyn stepped forward. As she was about to take the mug from Cassian, Kay bristled and bared his teeth. Jyn tensed, but took the mug and walked quickly towards the kitchen.

She refused to come as close when she returned, instead sliding the tea across the coffee table and glaring at Kay. "Very protective, isn't he," she grumbled.

"Sorry." Cassian propped himself up on one elbow and gave the cat a few strokes before reaching for the mug. "He means well."

"Sure he does." Jyn gave Kay a sidelong glance before turning away. "I'm heading out. I wanted to pick up lunch on my way to campus." She began layering on jackets and scarves. It wasn't snowing very hard, but it looked windy.

"Have fun," Cassian said, slumping back onto the couch.

"Yeah…" Jyn slung her bag over her shoulder and hesitated at the door. He looked really sad like that, curled up on the couch. "Do you… want me to get you anything?"

One hand on Kay again, Cassian looked up at her. "Honey? If you can get out to the store?"

"Sure." She nodded, tried to think of what else to say. "Feel better." Then she turned and hurried into the hallway.

 

She was on her way to the supermarket when Cassian texted her.

_Can you also pick up some cough drops?_

_Sure._ It was too cold to text and walk at the same time. But as soon as she put the phone away, it buzzed again.

_Not cherry. Honey and lemon._

_Got it._

_And tylenol. We're all out_.

Jyn glared. Could he not send this all in one text? _Okay_. She shoved her hands in her pockets and tried to get the blood flowing again. Her phone buzzed. Goddammit.

_Also, candied ginger if you can find it._

Oh my God. _Okay_.

_Sorry. I'll pay you back._

Damn right he would. Jyn shook her head and took a deep breath, reminded herself he was sick and she shouldn't snap at him. _No problem_.

 

She returned to the apartment after class grumpy and cold.

"You're welcome." She put the groceries on the kitchen table.

Cassian was boiling water for what was probably his millionth cup of tea since this morning, but turned around as soon as she let go of the bag and rifled through it for the cough drops.

" _Thank you_." His voice sounded rough, but it was still there. He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes when he got a cough drop into his mouth.

He looked so relieved Jyn began to feel the _tiniest_ bit bad for him. "That bad?"

He shook his head. "You have no idea."

Jyn took out the rest of the groceries and laid them out on the table. "The cashier asked if I had a fussy toddler."

Cassian opened one eye and huffed.

"I mean, do I look old enough to have a kid?"

He didn't get to answer before the water boiled and he turned around to pour it.

Jyn handed him the honey. "And what does that say about your tastes?"

He shrugged.

She eyed him carefully. "Does it hurt to talk?"

He sulked. "It hurts to breathe." He shuffled back out to the living room and sat on the couch, where Kay was waiting for him. The cat crawled onto his lap as soon as he sat down and seemed to fall asleep.

Jyn followed, just to get a better look at him. He still looked pretty bad, she supposed. His face was tight, probably from the pain, and he looked tired, even though he must've spent all day doing nothing. She examined his face. It was hard to tell with him, but his cheeks looked a little red.

"Did you want the Tylenol?" she said.

" _Shit_. Yes." Cassian put a hand on his forehead and looked awkwardly between Jyn and the cat on his lap

"I'll get it," she said before he could ask. They both knew he could just _move_ the darn thing, but… Jyn could imagine it felt pretty nice to have a warm, fluffy animal in your lap when you were under the weather and she supposed she couldn't ruin that for him.

However, she still refused to approach him with the murder-cat _right there_ , so she nudged the medicine across the coffee table from the opposite side.

"Thanks." Cassian raised an eyebrow. "He's really very friendly, you know."

Jyn watched it warily. She could hear it purring from where she stood, but that only made her more suspicious. "Maybe to _you_."

He scratched its ears. "You just need to give him a chance." His voice broke near the end and he winced, sipping tea with honey from his mug. Which (of course) was decorated with a cartoon cat licking itself and the words _Spit Happens_.

"Save your voice," Jyn said.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Jyn woke up to her alarm and stumbled into the kitchen to make coffee, which she required to be a functioning human being for a 9 o'clock class. Cassian wasn't in the living room, but he had a 9 o'clock on Fridays too, and set his alarm earlier.

Jyn inched towards his bedroom door while she waited for the coffee to be done. The door was ajar, as he left it so that Kay could go in and out at night (Jyn kept her bedroom door firmly closed), and she tried to peer inside. It was dark, but she could faintly make out Cassian on the bed, Kay curled up against his chest.

She glared at Kay and wondered if she should even bother. On one hand, maybe Cassian still wasn't feeling well. So she should just leave him. But on the other, Cassian hated missing class. If his fever was down, he'd want to go. But on the _other_ hand (she was running out of hands), Kay was _right there_. And Jyn wasn't about to approach a sleeping Cassian in his bedroom with his overprotective pet (the proud owner of four sets of very sharp claws and one set of very sharp teeth) right in front of him.

So she opted for the meter stick.

Cassian woke up sluggishly and squinted at her in the darkness. "Jyn, wha–" He winced and his hand flew to his neck. He groped around for his phone and began typing.

Jyn's phone buzzed. _What's wrong?_

What? He was asking _her_? "Nothing, I just wanted to know if you were going to go to class." She felt her face getting hot and looked at the ground. This was a mistake. She shouldn't have bothered.

Cassian closed his eyes and seemed to consider it. After a few minutes, he typed out another message. _No._

Jyn shifted. It had been… two days? A day and a half? "Are you… okay?" Crap, that was dumb. Of course he wasn't. She clenched her fist around the meter stick.

Cassian was texting again. _I'm fine._

Jyn raised an eyebrow.

He groaned. _I mean, my throat hurts, my head hurts, I feel like shit._

"Okay, well… can I get you anything before I leave?" The bag of cough drops was on his bedside table, several wrappers scattered around it, but nothing else.

 _A glass of water. And the candied ginger. Maybe the thermometer & Tylenol, too_. _Please._

"Okay."

_Thank you._

Jyn paused at the door. "No problem."

_And you know, it's okay to wake me up with your hands. I don't bite._

She glared. "Yeah. _You_ don't."

 _Kay's harmless_. _He just acts tough._

Jyn narrowed her eyes and left to collect everything. When she came back, she tried to hand the thermometer directly to him, but Kay leapt up and hissed, taking a swipe at her hand.

Jyn dodged it and glared. "Holy fuck, I'm trying to _help_."

Her phone buzzed. _Sorry_.

She grunted. Without taking her eyes off Kay, she took a step backward and left the thermometer on the bedside table with everything else. "Tell that thing to fucking chill."

But Cassian just smiled and pulled Kay closer to him when the cat came up to rub its face against his chin. "Sorry, buddy," he whispered. "I know you don't mean it."

Jyn rolled her eyes and left, closing the door behind her.

A few seconds later, she got another text. _Leave the door slightly open_.

 

Jyn didn't see Cassian when she got home that evening, but decided not to bother him. He would be fine, and it wasn't worth the murder-cat.

She did kind of miss him, though. It was Friday, and they usually spent evenings drinking beer and watching Netflix on the TV with his HDMI cord. So she settled with drinking beer and watching Netflix on her laptop with her headphones, but comedy specials weren't the same when you watched them alone, and she found the couch kind of cold without him. She abandoned the special as soon as she finished the beer and went to bed early.

But she found it hard to go to sleep. It was just _weird_ not to see Cassian all day, and she was maybe, possibly, a _little_ worried about him. Not that she knew even a little bit what do do about that. Christ, he was making her so… _touchy-feely_.

She rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. Whatever. This was pointless. He'd be fine tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

Since it was Saturday, Jyn didn't drag herself into the kitchen until close to noon. She snuck a quick peak into Cassian's room on her way. He was still sleeping, but she decided that could mean anything. She made coffee and settled at the kitchen table with her phone and a bowl of cereal. She was settling in for a quiet, lazy day when there were several loud clatters from Cassian's room.

Jyn jumped and cautiously peered inside to see what all the fuss was about.

Cassian was lying diagonally across the bed on top of the covers, limbs spread out and breathing heavily. Kay was sitting at the crook of his arm, its front legs up on his chest. Jyn could see its fluffy grey head bobbing up and down as Cassian breathed.

"What happened?"

"Kay–" Cassian's voice broke and he coughed. "Kay knocked over all the… all the stuff."

"Oh." Kay must've been messing around on the bedside table, because most of Cassian's 'sick' supplies were scattered all over the floor. Jyn set about picking them up. "What happened to your phone?" He sounded like he really shouldn't be talking.

"Dead. Forgot to plug it in last night." He ended the sentence with a low groan and Jyn looked at him more closely. His hair was stringy and his grey face sticky with dried fever-sweat. She was trying to get a better look at his face without coming too close to the murder-cat when she thought of something.

"…Cassian?"

"Yeah?"

"Are your… can I feel your neck?"

He opened one eye. "What?"

"Let me– I want to see if your glands are really big."

Cassian moved one arm and felt around under his jaw, then let it flop back down onto the bed. "Think so."

Jyn took a hesitant step forward. "Then… can I take a quick look at your throat?"

He frowned. "Umm… okay." But he didn't move, so Jyn took another step forward and reached for him.

Kay hissed and she drew back.

Cassian put a hand on its back. "'S okay buddy, she's fine."

But Kay growled and hissed again when Jyn approached a second time.

She huffed. "Just move it."

Cassian pushed weakly at Kay's hindquarters, but the cat refused to move. When Cassian physically lifted its front legs off his chest, it just turned around and returned to its post.

Cassian groaned again. His head rolled to the side. He seemed to find the whole thing exhausting. "He won't move. Just– Jyn, it's fine–"

Jyn clenched her teeth. She wasn't about to be defeated by a _cat_. "Alright, Kay. Come on." She took a firm step forward and reached out.

It became one of the most ridiculous fights Jyn had ever engaged in. When it was over, all she could say for sure was that she had _tried_ to go for the scruff– she read somewhere that was where you grab cats– but Kay turned on her faster than she thought possible. There was another hiss, a yowl, a brief tangle of limbs during which Jyn felt a flash of pain down her left forearm, but in the end Kay tumbled off the bed and bolted out of the room. Blood welling from the line of scratches on her arm, Jyn had no compunction about closing the door firmly behind it.

"Now," she said, turning back to Cassian, who remained in the same position. "Let me see." She sat carefully next to him on the bed, suddenly hyperaware of how close they were. As she leaned closer, she could feel the heat coming off him. "Open your mouth."

He did, and Jyn held up her phone flashlight to peer inside. _Bingo_. Cassian's throat looked horribly swollen and painful, but she saw what she was looking for– tiny red spots dotting the back of his mouth.

"All right." She turned off the flashlight and sat back. Her heart was beating and she felt the need to put some distance between them. She put her phone in her pocket and brushed her hair back, business-like. "You need to go to the health center. I think you have strep throat."

Cassian swallowed without thinking and winced. "Isn't that a kid disease?" he croaked.

Jyn tried not to roll her eyes. "Well, that does seem to be a theme." She stood and held out a hand. "Come on. Give me your keys and I'll drive you."

He closed his eyes again. "Jyn, you don't have to…"

She gestured impatiently. "Do you want to feel better or not?"

He huffed. " _Fine_."

He accepted her hand and she hauled him upright. As his head came up, he blanched and Jyn froze. "Are you going to puke?"

He closed his eyes, swallowed, pressed a hand to his throat. "False alarm."

"Okay." She waited.

He looked at his lap. "Can you just… give me a minute to put on some jeans?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't fall back asleep."

He raised a hand. "Scout's honor."

She snorted. "You were never a boy scout."

But she left him alone and went to wait in the living room. Kay was there, looking sulky under the coffee table. His head followed her as she went to the bathroom to find neosporin for the scratches, but he didn't move as she collected her wallet, coat and Cassian's keys.

He looked thoroughly cowed and Jyn smirked. Served him right.

 

The clinic at the university health center was crowded, and Jyn realized it was because they were hitting it during the limited hours it was open on Saturdays. She let Cassian have one of the only open seats and stood awkwardly beside him, trying to breathe through her scarf. Not that she was usually much of a germaphobe, but there were a _lot_ of sick people in the tiny waiting room and it smelled a bit too strongly of disinfectant.

Cassian filled out the paperwork then rested his head in his hands and tried not to look as uncomfortable as he probably felt.

Jyn didn't have to touch his forehead to know he was practically baking. _Dammit_. If she'd thought of it, she would've gotten some more Tylenol in him before they left.

She was too keyed up to take his seat when he finally got to see someone, so she paced to the water cooler and back then lingered by the empty chair, tapping her feet.

"Boyfriend?"

Jyn whipped her head around and focused on a woman sitting two seats down, a flushed toddler playing with a board book in her lap. "N-no." Fuck, why was she stammering? "Roommate."

"Oh." The woman looked kind of confused, but didn't say anything. "It's nice of you to bring him in."

Jyn shrugged, tried to hide her burning cheeks in her scarf. "Well… you know." What was she supposed to do? Just leave him there? He probably would've been fine in the end, but still… So she cared about his health, what was the big deal?

She couldn't think of a better response, but was saved when another name was called and the woman picked up her son and left.

Cassian came back a minute later, looking tired and grumpy and holding a prescription for penicillin.

Jyn took a deep breath and collected herself. "Ready to go?"

 

They were back at the apartment when Jyn realized they'd forgotten to stop at the pharmacy. Cassian was already half-asleep on the sofa under an afghan and Jyn waved away his token protests as she re-wrapped her scarf around her neck.

"I'll pay you back," he muttered, sinking back onto the pillows.

"Don't worry about that right now," she murmured. God, when did she get so _nice?_ "I'll be right back."

When she returned and Cassian sat up to take the medicine, she finally noticed Kay was nowhere to be seen. She looked around.

"He didn't come out," Cassian said.

He looked really sad about it and Jyn felt a brief pang when she realized that was probably because of her. "Sorry," she muttered, taking her place on the easy chair and turning on the TV to… _Person of Interest_.

 _Damn,_ she thought. _We've come full circle._

Kay still hadn't come out when the episode ended and Cassian was looking even more melancholy for before. Jyn wondered if she'd have to go on a cat-hunt. She muted the commercials and got up to stretch her legs.

"Is it me?" Cassian said.

She frowned. "What?"

He wasn't looking at her, face turned half-into the blanket. "Why you're always so… distant," he said. "Is it me?"

…Nope. He still wasn't making sense. "What?"

"You wake me up with a meter stick," he said. "And you always stand so far away. I thought it was because of Kay but…"

Jyn suddenly felt very hot but also like she might be frozen. "Uhh…"

Cassian shrugged. "Maybe you just like your space. And that's fine." He sighed and closed his eyes.

Jyn wondered how high his fever was getting. Maybe she should find that Tylenol…

When she came back, she hesitated, then knelt down next to Cassian's head with the class of water. "Hey." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Feel up to some more medicine?"

He opened his eyes, blinked to see her so close by, and nodded. He took the pills, then shivered and pulled the blanket tighter around him.

"…Cold?"

He nodded.

"Sit up a bit."

He frowned.

"Just… trust me." Before she could think about it too hard, she helped him move his head aside and slid behind him to sit on the couch.

His head fell naturally onto her lap, way more comfortably than Jyn expected.

"Better?" she said. He felt like a space heater to her and she didn't understand how he could possibly be cold, but he relaxed against her and nodded.

Jyn un-muted the TV and tried to do the same. _This is fine_ , she thought. _This is normal. I'm just being nice_. _Which is something I do now._

Halfway through the episode, Kay emerged from Cassian's bedroom. He seemed to make a beeline for the sofa, but stopped short when he noticed Jyn.

Jyn stiffened. "I should–"

Cassian grasped her arm. "Just stay still."

She froze, didn't even remove Cassian's hand from her wrist.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kay slowly approached and hopped up onto the couch to curl against Cassian.

Cassian scratched behind his ears and stroked him absently, eyes never leaving the TV.

Jyn watched Kay, purring happily and seemingly oblivious to her presence.

"You can pet him," Cassian said.

Jyn wanted to roll her eyes or say something sarcastic, but she reached out, painfully slowly, the scratches under her arm protesting against her sleeve, to pet him.

Miraculously, he didn't hiss or growl or run away. He just stayed there, swishing his tail every now and then and purring as she stroked his back.

He was softer than Jyn thought he'd be, and actually looked kind of cute like that, pressed to Cassian's chest.

"See?"

Jyn nearly jumped when Cassian spoke. "Don't say 'I told you so,'" she said.

He shook his head. "I knew you'd be a cat person."

She took a breath to contradict him, then let it out. She didn't want to ruin the moment.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah. More Cassian suffering! Clearly I have no self-control. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, you'll never guess whether or not I'm a cat person. (Hint: I am. I like cats more than I like most people.)
> 
> (If you're curious, this is what I think [Kay the cat](http://cdn1-www.cattime.com/assets/uploads/gallery/american-shorthair-cats-and-kittens/american-shorthair-cats-kittens-3.jpg) looks like!
> 
>    
> Thanks for reading!


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